House Passes First Anti-Abortion Bills Of New Term
The two measures, approved largely along party lines, lay out new penalties for doctors that don't provide medical care for an infant born alive after an abortion attempt and condemn violence against anti-abortion groups. Neither measure is expected to pass the Senate, but illustrate House Republicans' roadmap for the new term.
AP:
Republicans Push Anti-Abortion Measures With New Majority
House Republicans are taking early action on abortion with their new majority, approving two measures Wednesday that make clear they want further restraints after the Supreme Court overruled the federal right to abortion last year. The new GOP-led House passed one resolution to condemn attacks on anti-abortion facilities, including crisis pregnancy centers, and a separate bill that would impose new penalties if a doctor refused to care for an infant born alive after an abortion attempt. (Jalonick, 1/11)
Politico:
GOP Sticks To Its Abortion Playbook As House Acts
It’s highly unlikely that the Democratic-controlled Senate will consider either measure, but the votes indicate that the GOP, at least for now, plans to handle the abortion issue as it has during past stints in the majority. Both measures focus on issues around the periphery of the abortion debate and don’t address new questions created by the Supreme Court’s decision, such as whether Congress should pass legislation banning or restricting the procedure. (Leonard, 1/11)
The Hill:
House Passes First GOP Abortion Bill Days Into New Session
It is rare for an infant to be born after an attempted abortion, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 143 infants were born after an attempted induced termination from 2003 to 2014, according to the agency, the majority of whom died between one and four hours later. Of those, 97 “involved a maternal complication or, one or more congenital anomalies.” (Schnell, 1/11)
Republicans' abortion agenda continues to be debated —
The Hill:
GOP Rep: Republicans ‘Tone-Deaf’ On Abortion
As House Republicans are set to consider a number of bills that would limit abortion access, GOP Rep. Nancy Mace (S.C.) says her party is “tone-deaf” on the issue, blasting their approach. “We have been tone-deaf on this issue since the time that Roe was overturned,” Mace told reporters Tuesday. “We buried our heads in the sand … We didn’t have any policy alternatives.” (Neukam, 1/11)
The Boston Globe:
The National March For Life Is Next Week, The First Since Roe V. Wade Was Overturned. Advocates Now Want The Federal Government To Go Even Further.
Antiabortion activists who will assemble in Washington later this month for the annual March for Life plan to send a message that they still believe there’s a federal role for the government to take on abortion, even after the US Supreme Court kicked the issue back to the states. (Villa de Petrzelka, 1/12)
